History of the M.E. Church, Vol. IV - Media Sabda Org

edifice was soon after provided in Baltimore; this, however, shared the fate of its predecessor in
precisely one year. It has been supposed that these disasters not only discouraged Asbury, but led him
fallaciously to infer that Providence designed not the denomination to devote its energy to education.
It was far otherwise, however, with that great man. He did not believe that collegiate or pretentious
institutions of learning should be attempted by the Church while yet in its infancy, but he never
abandoned the design of secondary or more practically adapted institutions. He formed indeed a
grand scheme, as we have seen, for the establishment of academies all over the territory of the
denomination, one for each "district," a district then being a Conference.
As far south as Georgia contributions in land and tobacco were received for the founding of a
college there in 1789; and in the yet frontier settlements of Redstone, Pa., and Kentucky, seminaries
were attempted under Asbury's auspices. In 1789 overtures for an academy in Kentucky were
approved by him and the Conferences, and the next year the Western Conference began subscriptions
for it. At Bethel, Ky., an edifice and organization were really established, but financially broke down
at last, prostrating the health and intellect of Poythress by its fall. At Uniontown, Western
Pennsylvania, an academy was started in 1794 or 1795 by Asbury's influence, and survived some few
years, educating Thomas Bell, Samuel Parker, and other eminent men. Thus in its primitive struggles
of the last century, did the Church show its appreciation of education. In 1792 Asbury was ambitious
to place "two thousand children under the best plan of education ever known in this country."
Before the close of the last century Hope Hull established an academy in Wilkes County, Ga., and
we have seen Roberts, McHenry, and Valentine Cook personally devoting themselves to the work
of education. In 1818 Dr. Samuel K. Jennings and other Methodists attempted a college in Baltimore,
but this also failed. No failures, however, no discouragement, could obliterate from the mind of the
denomination the conviction of its responsibility for the education of the increasing masses of its
people. In 1820 the General Conference recommended that all the annual Conferences should
establish seminaries within their boundaries, thus proposing to supply the whole republic with such
schools, though with considerable territorial intervals. This demonstration of interest for education
in the supreme body of the Church was prompted by the spontaneous enterprise of the ministry and
the people, who, three years before, had, chiefly under the guidance of Martin Ruter, started an
institution in New England, (at New Market, N. H.,) still distinguished, in its later location, at
Wilbraham, Mass.; and in 1819 another, chiefly under the guidance of Nathan Bangs, in New York
city, afterward transferred to White Plains, N. Y. The impulse thus given not only produced
numerous academies, but led in 1823, to the beginning of Augusta College, Ky., whose edifice was
erected in 1825, and commenced the series of modern collegiate institutions under the patronage of
the Church, so that by the General Conference of 1832, says the biographer of Hedding, "the
Wesleyan University had been established at Middletown, Conn., and Dr. Wilbur Fisk, of the New
England Conference, was at its head, and John M. Smith, of the New York Conference, one of the
professors. Madison College, now extinct, but whose place has since been supplied by Allegheny
College, had gone into successful operation in Western Pennsylvania; J. H. Fielding had succeeded
H. B. Bascom as president, and H. J. Clark was one of the professors; both were members of the
Pittsburgh Conference. Augusta College had been established under the patronage of the Kentucky
and Ohio Conferences; Martin Ruter was president, and H. B. Bascom, J. S. Tomlinson, J. P. Durbin,
and Burr H. McCown, were professors; all of them members of the Kentucky Conference except J.
P. Durbin, who belonged to the Ohio. In the southwest, Lagrange College had been established;